About D&G Dog Training

Obedience through trust in Molalla

D&G Dog Training is the training arm of Darby and Gracy Dogs, based in Molalla and launched in January 2023 by Shannon Rowe, who founded the nonprofit Darby and Gracy's Dog Rescue in 2014. Its approach, "Obedience Through Trust," centers on boundaries, trust, obedience and partnership, and on teaching dog and people "neutrality" so a dog keeps its composure around other dogs and people. Shannon is a Certified Master Dog Trainer, and trainer Molly Elkins, a former school teacher, focuses on educating owners as well as dogs.

Classes and lessons

Private lessons come in 4, 7 or 10 one-hour sessions after a 2-hour introduction lesson. Six-week group classes, trick classes from beginning to advanced, and a Dog Actor Certification "Movie Class" toward the AAAI certification are capped at 6 dogs and require an introductory evaluation. Puppy classes, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Puppy Adventure training are offered, along with CGC, Community Canine, Urban CGC and Trick Dog testing. The instructor holds CTDI, AKC Trick and AACE certifications.

What owners say

Erica and Ivan wrote: "We began to see improvements in Freya after the first session."